This week...
Reading: We are doing stations this week in order to review some strategies and skills in reading and writing. This includes using MyOn to complete a project on traditional literature, independent reading with a reflection, creating an advertisement to encourage settlers to come to your colony in Texas, and watching a few designated videos I've linked on Google Classroom. While students are working in stations, I am continuing to pull students either independently or in small groups to look over needs in writing and reading. This week I will be setting up some tutoring groups. If you receive a letter, please know that this is a free service, once a week after school.
Students should be reading EVERY night. The rule was always 20 minutes a night, but we are now bumping that to 30 minutes a night. Self selected books on or slightly above grade level are best, but occasional just for fun simpler books are always good too. Have your child practice reading out loud to a younger sibling if possible.
Writing: We are reviewing commas in compound sentences as we practice again on commas in complex sentences. There is a practice going home today that will be due Thursday. The kids are getting better at this skill. They almost always recognize when a comma is needed, but don't always apply it to their own writing. Lots of practice. In addition to complex and compound sentences, we will be looking at commas in quotations. This is always tricky for kids. Anytime you are reading together, please point out the use of quotation marks and commas in dialogue. Students are finishing a prompt on what they want to be when they grow up. I'm working hard to meet with every student during the writing process. By Wednesday we will start another prompt. With each prompt we do, I back off just a little more and encourage more independence from the students. The more practice they can do, the stronger they will become. Don't forget, I have a tab on this website to some helpful writing sites that offer extra practice.
Social Studies: We are looking at the settlements and colonies in Texas and students are working as "empressarios" to entice settlers to choose their colony by selling of acres. They are getting into naming and designing the advertisements.